Tech Tips: The Podcast

Hable One is a Bluetooth-enabled, braille inspired keyboard designed for phones and tablets making it possible for people who are blind to control these devices without lugging around a bulky keyboard.  Joining me this month is Freek van Wellsness of Hable to talk about this amazing device along with something new called Speechlabels.

Regardless of where you live, researching agencies and organizations dedicated to working with the blind and low vision community can seem daunting.  The Eye Spy Foundation is working to help make that research a little easier.  Join me this month as I talk with Nick Mendler, President and Founder of the Eye Spy Foundation.

Support is just as important as technology.  That is something that is sometimes overlooked when it comes to people dealing with vision loss.  “You Don’t Look Blind” is an online peer support group dedicated to helping people with vision loss, along with sighted caregivers, a place to get that support.  What started out as a local support group in Denver, CO, is now an international support group with over 1,700 members on their Facebook page.  Join me this month as I talk with Rob and Jamie about this amazing peer-based support group.

Whether you’re looking for a computer that fits in your pocket or something a little more robust with a braille display, chances are good that Blazie Technologies has what you need.  Join me this month as I talk with David Goldfield and Bryan Blazie about the BT Speak Pocket Computer and the BT Braille on Tech Tips:  The Podcast.

AI can be used for more than composing emails or discovering obscure facts about your favorite TV shows.  It can also be used to compose music based on what’s floating around in your head.  Join me this month on Tech Tips where I’ll once again be talking with Shawn Keen about AI for the Blind along with using Artificial Intelligence to compose music, or just about anything else you can think of.

Yes.  People with visual impairments like to build with Lego too.  Just in time for Christmas, join me as I talk with Matthew Shiffrin, CEO and founder of Bricks for the Blind, about this amazing non-profit organization making Lego instructions accessible to people who are blind, or have low vision.

For people living with vision impairment from a young age, the world of assistive technology and independent living aids is nothing new to them.  However, for anyone suffering an unexpected loss of vision as an adult, it doesn’t take much to suddenly feel overwhelmed with their changing environment.  Talking with someone who can help you navigate the world of vision loss is key to maintaining a level of independence as close to what you had before your vision loss as possible.  That brings me to this month’s guest.  Jerry Berrier is totally blind and an avid birder.  He also has experience working with people who are new to vision loss.

October is  Cyber Security Month and protecting your personal information both online and in public are what we will be talking about this month on Tech Tips: The Podcast. 

The video game “Pong” was release in 1972, and ever since then, they have played a huge role in pop culture.  These fantastic worlds wrapped in brightly painted plywood helped us escape our everyday lives to battle aliens and save princesses.  If you had a visual, hearing or motor disability, you were not playing these games or not playing at the same level as your friends without disabilities.  Video games are now played largely on game consoles, PC’s and mobile devices.  Many games are still inaccessible to people with disabilities.  This month, Gary Bartos and Matthew Shifrin are my guests, and we are going to be talking all about accessible gaming.  What is it?  How can games be made to be more accessible?  And a whole lot more.

Saying that we are taking technology “old school” this month would be a major understatement.  Developed in the early 1800’s, braille is now synonymous with the blind and visually impaired community.  Join me this month as we talk all things braille with Mary Webber of Mary’s Braille Transcribing Services. 

We see them everywhere and, in all shapes, and sizes.  I’m talking about QR codes.  Point your phone’s camera at a QR code, and that magical little symbol automatically directs you to whatever content the organization or company, behind the code, wants you to see.  QR codes are on TV, in brochures and in just about every public space you can think of.  While great at relaying information to the masses, QR codes can be a nightmare at times for someone who is blind or has low vision.  A new app called Navilens wants to make it easier for you to find these helpful little symbols.  Martin Garcia of Navilens is joining me this month to talk about this oh so helpful app and QR code system.

This month, I talk with Zach Afridi of Vision Buddy about this incredible "VR" style headset designed to help people with low vision better see the world around them.

Join me as I talk with Dave Epstein, a.k.a. Sedona Dave, about his extra tough cane made for people who love hiking in the great outdoors.  Dave also talks about the cane for us city dwellers called the Urban Xplorer.  In addition, Dave lets us in on his community outreach efforts including his podcast that takes a look at people who are not letting their visual impairment define them, or what they can do  called "Off the Beaten Path".  So grab your favorite cold beverage, and enjoy!

From keypads to menus to Do-It-Yourself kiosks, we've all encountered touchscreens, and what we've learned is that not all touchscreens are accessible to the blind and low vision community.  Echobatix is an app designed to make touchscreens more accessible for people who are blind, or have low vision.  This month, we are talking with Gary Bartos, CEO and the creator behind Echobatix

Shawn Keen with AI for the Blind is my guest this month.  We are going to be talking about artificial intelligence; what it is, and how it is benefiting the VI community.

Get ready to take some notes.  Accessible Pharmacy held it’s 3rd Annual Blind Health Expo in December.  The expo is a virtual conference designed to give people from around the globe the opportunity to talk directly with companies and organizations working within the V.I.  community to help us live more independent and productive lives.  This episode of Tech Tips:  The Podcast will include discussions about the All Terrain Cane, iBUG Today, the Blind Institute of Technology, Aira and many more.  Be sure to have something handy to take notes with.  You’re gonna need it.  Enjoy!

Quintex of Asheville is a distributer of electronic and video magnifiers for North and South Carolina.  In this episode, we'll be talking with Frank Beard, owner and operator.

Shopping is probably one of the most time-consuming things we, as visually impaired people, routinely tackle.  On this episode of Tech Tips:  The Podcast, I’ll be talking with Patrick Long of Innosearch.AI about his site’s approach to making shopping easier for the visually impaired community.  After our conversation, keep listening for a special offer from Innosearch.AI for Tech Tips listeners.

In this episode I talk with Jay Cormier, CEO and founder of Eyedaptic about their new EYE6 Glasses with Ivy.  Ivy is their new AI powered visual assistant that works in concert with their revolutionary glasses.  The glasses use an onboard camera to magnify and enhance images for people who suffer from AMD, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, and other retinal degenerative diseases.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness, (FFB), hosted it's biennial Visions Conference in Chicago.  An exhibit hall was included with the conference pass featuring manufacturers and organizations dedicated to helping people with visual impairments.  On this episode of Tech Tips:  The Podcast, I will be featuring discussions with ReBokeh, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Solar Grove, Patriot Vision and Freedom Scientific about all the fascinating products and services they have to offer.

Florida based Blazie Technologies recently announced their new BT Speak Pro.  Listen to David Goldfield talk about this tiny, but mighty pint-sized computer designed specifically for people who are blind.

Eyedaptic is company dedicated to helping people suffering from AMD, and other related eye conditions, regain as much of their independence as possible.  Listen as CEO Jay Cormier talks about these remarkable glasses, and what's on the horizon.

Computers are expensive.  We all know that.  With an unemployment rate of over 70% among people who are visually impaired, most cannot afford to purchase a computer.  Then, there's the software necessary to be able to use the computer.  Computers for the Blind is working to change that by offering computers preloaded with screen magnifiers, or readers, at a substantial discount to the visually impaired community.  In this episode of Tech Tips, I talk with Marci and Bryan about Computers for the Blind and how you can purchase a computer for almost nothing.

Join me as I talk with Andy Lane of Be My Eyes about the app that gives visual assistance to people who are visually impaired.

Welcome to Tech Tips:  The Podcast.  This is a short introduction to who I am and the goal of this podcast.  Please subscribe and follow.